Yangtze River Fishing Ban

by Li Zhuoxi

On January 1， 2020， a 10-year fishing ban in key areas of the Yangtze River， Chinas longest river， went into effect.

The fishing moratorium is considered a key move to fight the depletion of biological resources and degrading biodiversity in the Yangtze River， which has long been suffering from human activities such as overfishing and pollution. Biological deterioration has affected fishing along the Yangtze River as well， which now only produces 0.32 percent of Chinas freshwater aquatic products. In recent years， the annual catch from the Yangtze River has fallen to less than 100，000 tons， down from more than 420，000 tons in the 1950s.

The 10-year ban is estimated to affect more than 113，000 fishing boats and nearly 280，000 fishermen in 10 provincial-level regions along the river. Chinas Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has promised to provide social security services， financial support and vocational training for affected fishermen as they move into new occupations.